Christian Living

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All the Marbles-The Great Deception
By Rick L King
April 5, 2011

As a child, did you ever play a game of marbles? Many I am sure have at one time or another. The object of the game was to get all the marbles. The one that got all the marbles was the winner.

I have been thinking much about all of the wars that are going on in the world today. I was thinking how that mankind has just not learned very much over the centuries. I was thinking of how that killing others has never stopped and how little that it has really accomplished. I thought why is man still so stupid to believe that going around killing people will solve anything? Then I realized that it is all about sin. The deeper sin is that man refuses to believe that there even is a devil. The sin is the sin of unbelief. Whether the world or the church, it seems the belief is much the same. The word of God clearly tells us that there is a devil. Satan is real. Just because you don’t believe that does not make it untrue. Scripture says:

1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

John 10:10 The thief (devil. Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The devil is the one that deceives and lies to us. He tells us that having our own kingdom will make us happy. He tells us that if we rule over others that we will be happy. He makes us think that when we have all of this that we will be looked up too (pride). You know, look at me, I have all the marbles. He is the one behind all of the killing. Every person killed that has not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, according to God’s Word, is headed for hell. I don’t want their blood on my conscience, do you? He tells us that this is life, when in fact we are void of life. Society as a whole teaches us that we are a winner if we get all of the marbles. They will allow others to go without so that they may have all of them. They seem to believe that by having all the marbles that they will be happy and that is what real life is. They do not realize that this is actually just sin. The devil wanted to be in control. He wanted to be like God. He wanted it for himself. When it is all about us, we are in agreement with satan. Yet as I look at some scripture and my own experiences, I know that this is not correct.

1John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

It is the spirit of God that gives life, not the wealth of the world. All the things of this world will pass away, but the Spirit of God will be forever. You can’t take the worldly things with you, but you can take your relationship, and pleasing the Lord by your obedience, and your love and worship to God with you. Nothing else will go with you other than that.

Yet, I realized that the root of the killing is all about the marbles.

Having all of the marbles is not bad in itself. The two questions that come up are: what a person did to get all of the marbles, and what did they do with the marbles once they got them?

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Life is not in the thing’s which we possess. This is a lie of the devil. This is the same lie that the devil used on Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is the same lie that he tried to tempt Jesus with when he told him that he would give to him the whole world if he would bow down and worship him. Jesus already had the whole world. He didn’t buy into the deception that he had to bow to satan to get it. Satan was trying to tell Jesus that he would find life by having the whole world. Sounds like what we hear taught these days doesn’t it? The lie is that it is only about us and what we can possess. If I just had this or that I would be happy. If I could just do this or that, I would be happy. I know of many people that have abundance. I know of some that have obtained the abundance at the expense of others. One couple I know had a million dollar home. Yet, they lived in the bedroom and kitchen. Was that a need? They got much of their riches honestly, yet they paid psaltery sums to people in need. They profited from the needs of others. They used others lack for their own gain. They were Christians, at least in name. The laborer is worthy of his hire. I don’t know about you, but when we pay some person substandard wages because they are in need and will work for anything to get some money, that to me is ill-gotten gain. The Bible says:

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Sounds like that has been missed a lot these days. The word says in John 3:16, that God so loved the world that he gave….. Love is about giving, not taking. God sacrificed to give. Is that not esteeming others higher than self?

The second question I had was what did we do with the marbles after we got all of them? Many people have been given all the marbles. Some got them by ill-gotten gain. Some got them honestly through hard work. Yet what did they do with them? The Bible says that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and that all things would be added unto us. (Mathew 6:33). As stated earlier, we have believed the lie that is is all for me. We try to build our own kingdom. Many have all the nice things, cars, houses, money, vacations etc. God has allowed many to have all of this, but when we saw another that was cold or naked, did we just say go and get warm? Did we give to them a coat?

James 2:
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

1John 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

Yet, I must wonder what God will say to those when they stand before Him and He asks, but what did you do with the riches I gave to you? Did you build My kingdom or yours? Did you heap up the treasures for yourself? Did you learn the joy that comes by sacrificial giving to those in need? I think many are going to say a big “ouch” to that one. Many have much that they could do for the kingdom. They could live in a modest home and have the joy of giving to the work of God’s kingdom. There are many anointed people out there that are going without and cannot fulfill their call because there is no support. God calls each differently. Some He anoints to go and do. Some He anoints to pay for it. All of the gifting is supposed to come together to promote the kingdom of God.

I think of the upper room in the Book of Acts. They had all things common. They sold what they had and distributed to every man that had a need (Acts 2). We don’t see that much in the church these days do we? Seems that most are in it for themselves. They had one goal to corporately find and do the will of God. No man had lack. The focus was not on self, but on fulfilling the will of God. I see so many these days having become millionaires. The actors and singers, the sports figures, the doctor and lawyers, the corporate heads. What are they doing with the money? Do they really need all of it to live comfortably? Do they sleep well at night knowing that they could make a major difference in people’s lives or finance works of ministry for God’s kingdom? Or is their conscious seared? Having all of the marbles is just not what it is cracked up to be, unless you get them honestly, and you use them for God’s glory instead of your own.

Luke 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

If the Lord gives to you any marbles, be mindful with what you do with them.

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